


A Matter Of Trust

by loves_books



Category: The A-Team (2010), The A-Team - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-06-26 09:16:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15660234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loves_books/pseuds/loves_books
Summary: “He’s not doing it on purpose, you realise?”BA glanced up across the room to where Hannibal had appeared in the doorway, feeling more than a little confused. “Who’s not doing what, now?”“Face,” Hannibal clarified with a small smile, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the door frame. “Whatever it is he’s done or is doing to piss you off, I’m sure he’s not doing it on purpose.”





	A Matter Of Trust

“He’s not doing it on purpose, you realise?”

BA glanced up across the room to where Hannibal had appeared in the doorway, feeling more than a little confused. “Who’s not doing what, now?”

“Face,” Hannibal clarified with a small smile, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the door frame. “Whatever it is he’s done or is doing to piss you off, I’m sure he’s not doing it on purpose.”

With a grunt of disbelief, BA turned his attention back to the living room table where he was meticulously taking apart and cleaning his favourite rifle. “And just how can you be sure about that, boss?” he questioned over his shoulder. “Are you a mind reader now?”

The very moment the words left his mouth, BA regretted them. He’d only been with Hannibal and their newly formed Alpha unit for a few short months, and he was painfully aware that mouthing off to his former CO was a large part of what had gotten him kicked out of the Rangers his first time around.

Hannibal might well be a whole lot more casual and friendly on the surface than BA’s last CO, but he was still a Colonel. He deserved BA’s respect, and he’d more than earned it already.

But before BA could open his mouth to recant his words, at least in part, Hannibal actually laughed, and BA relaxed just a fraction. “Not a mind reader, no, I just know Face, big guy. And he’s not malicious, not in any way. He’s really not doing it on purpose.”

“Feels like it,” BA sighed, giving up on his cleaning task and resigning himself to having this conversation. To be fair, it might actually be good to get Hannibal’s perspective. He rested his tools gently on the newspaper, settled back in his chair and gave Hannibal his whole attention, though the colonel didn’t move from his position in the doorway. “Feels like he’s trying his hardest to get on my last damn nerve at times.”

Hannibal laughed again, blue eyes twinkling. “So, what exactly is it that he’s doing?” the Colonel asked after a moment, cocking his head slightly to one side. “I’ve been trying to figure it out, but I’m not sure I’ve got all the right pieces in the right order yet. The lies, and the scamming, that’s a part of it, yes?”

“Yes to both. A big, huge yes.” 

A sage nod. “The women, maybe?”

“No, man, that doesn’t bother me.” And it really didn’t. Face was a free agent, and he never paraded his one night stands in front of the rest of the team. He seemed to be a good guy about it all, somehow managing to never leave any broken hearts in his wake, and even making breakfast for some of his ladies. On occasion there had even been extra pancakes for his team if they happened to be around at the time. 

A pause, then Hannibal asked, softly, “So how about the men?”

BA took a deep breath, surprised that Hannibal felt able to mention Face’s habits so openly. He wondered fleetingly what his new Colonel might have observed about his own habits and interests, then remembered that Hannibal had seen his full file from before his dishonourable discharge and knew all about the DADT charges. But Hannibal was also a good guy, a fair guy, and someone BA had trusted instinctively from day one. Even when he’d been shot in the arm. 

Hannibal certainly wasn’t one to make snap judgements.

Coming to a decision, he raised his eyes to meet Hannibal’s defiantly, shaking his head. “You of all people should know I don’t have a problem with that either,” he said slowly, clearly, relieved when Hannibal simply nodded again with a reassuring smile.

“So, just the lying and the scamming then?” Hannibal asked. “Or is there another part of the puzzle I’ve missed? Something else that he’s doing that’s winding you up?”

BA sighed, wondering how he could put it all into words in a way Hannibal could understand, when he wasn’t sure he understood it himself. “Nope, that about covers it, boss. It’s just constant with him, like he never turns it off. The flirting, the exaggerating, the outright lies, the scams and cheats, and the endless promises – ”

“He does follow through on those promises,” Hannibal cut in, then with a wry grin he added, “Most of the time, anyway.”

“Just makes it hard to trust anything he says to us. That’s my main problem with it.” BA shrugged, getting into his explanation now. “He’s good at what he does, I don’t deny that, and I know it gets the team a lot of good things. Things we need. But the more I see him scamming, the more I can’t help wondering if he’s scamming us. Scamming me, or you, even.”

“He’s not.” Hannibal sounded utterly confident, and BA remembered again that Hannibal and Face had been working together for a long time. More than ten years, in fact, three of those as a select team of just two. “Trust me. You can trust Face.”

“I want to.” And he really did want to; BA genuinely liked the other man, in spite of his concerns. Face was quick-witted, clever, and brave. He was a whole lot of fun on a night out, the true life and soul of the party, but also surprisingly sensitive to other people’s feelings, whatever they might need at any given moment in time. He was incredible and reliable in the field, and his sharpshooting skills had already saved BA’s life twice. 

Of course, it didn’t hurt that Face was also unfairly gorgeous, with that beautiful bronzed and honed body, and those incredibly bright blue eyes. BA had already had far too many fantasies about the handsome lieutenant.

But there was also that nagging doubt the entire time, growing stronger day by day. BA could deal with a lot of things, but he couldn’t and wouldn’t deal with liars.

“You need to talk to Face about this.” Before BA could protest, Hannibal held up a hand to stop him, fixing him in place with a stern look. “I need you two to fix this before it becomes a problem in the field. He has his own reasons for being the way he is, and I think he needs to be the one to tell you about them, not me.”

BA couldn’t hold back a snort at that. “Reasons, boss? Beyond the fact that he’s just a natural born conman?”

“Careful, Corporal.” Hannibal’s eyes flashed angrily for just a second, and BA looked away in shame, aware he’d crossed some invisible line. Hannibal had always seemed protective of Face – at first, BA had actually wondered if the two men were together, but their relationship was far more familial than anything more. Not quite father-son, more older-brother-younger-brother. “Talk to him, and make it soon, for all our sakes. Face, he…” Hannibal paused, a thoughtful frown appearing on his forehead, clearly choosing his words carefully. “He didn’t have it easy growing up, okay?”

“Really?” With an effort, BA managed to bite back what he truly wanted to say; Face had spent too long telling them about his golden childhood in LA, hanging around at the beach and surfing. Sure, it might all be just another pack of lies, but whatever the truth might actually be, BA had grown up in the rough areas of Chicago, with a single mother working two jobs just to keep a roof over their heads. He knew all about hard childhoods.

“I know exactly what you’re thinking, Bosco, but talk to Face. Ask him why he does what he does.” Hannibal straightened to his full height and turned to go, leaving BA with one final parting shot over his shoulder. “Trust me, please, even if you can’t quite trust him yet.”

**Author's Note:**

> Written in response to a prompt on the Yahoo Hannibal/Face group from Jullian Gray, who asked:
> 
>  
> 
> _BA has had enough of Face for whatever reason, catting around, scamming, you name it Face has done it to piss him off (real or imaginary) can Hannibal get the two together and or make BA understand?_
> 
>  
> 
> Obviously my brain immediately wandered off into BA/Face territory, then promptly became distracted by other prompts. I may yet come back to this and continue it, but for now I quite like what I had written, and I think it just about stands alone.


End file.
